Tribal Education and Cultural Preservation
Social Justice & Development
- PYQs8
- Articles1
Background
UPSC emphasizes understanding government efforts for vulnerable sections, particularly Scheduled Tribes, covering their educational upliftment, cultural rights, and the challenges in balancing modernization with tradition. EMRS exemplifies a policy addressing these dual objectives, making it relevant for GS1 (Culture) and GS2 (Social Justice, Government Policies).
Education is a critical tool for socio-economic upliftment and empowerment of tribal communities, while the preservation of their unique cultures, languages, and traditional knowledge is vital for maintaining India's diverse heritage. Government initiatives aim to bridge educational gaps and safeguard tribal identity.
Facts & tables
- Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS)
- A key government initiative providing quality residential education to Scheduled Tribe children from Class VI to XII in tribal-dominated areas.
- Dual Objective
- EMRS integrate academic excellence with the preservation and promotion of tribal culture, language, and traditional knowledge.
- Cultural Preservation Mechanisms
- Achieved through initiatives like 'Tribal Corners' to showcase heritage and recruitment of regional language teachers.
- Holistic Development
- Aims to prepare tribal students for higher education and competitive examinations (e.g., JEE/NEET) while fostering overall development including sports and extracurriculars.
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Conceptual area | Social Justice & Development |
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Tribal Affairs | Implements |
Prelims angle
Prelims angle: Terminology-based question
Prelims angle: Policy measures
- EMRS: Residential schools for ST children (Class VI-XII).
- Dual focus: Quality education & tribal cultural preservation.
- Features: Tribal Corners, regional language teachers.
- Aims to prepare students for higher education (JEE/NEET).
- Implemented by Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
| Year | Framing tags |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2023 | Statement-based questions, Multi-statement analysis |
| 2019 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2019 | Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding |
| 2017 | Terminology-based question, Policy measures |
| 2017 | Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding |
| 2016 | Multi-statement analysis, Policy measures |
| 2016 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
Timeline
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Social Justice & Development
Conceptual area
-
Prelims 2016
Multi-statement analysis, Policy measures
-
Prelims 2016
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2017
Terminology-based question, Policy measures
-
Prelims 2017
Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding
-
Prelims 2019
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2019
Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding
-
Prelims 2023
Statement-based questions, Multi-statement analysis
-
Prelims 2026
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
EKLAVYA MODEL RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS
EMRS represent a significant government effort to provide quality education to tribal children while simultaneously preserving their rich cultural heritage, addressing both educational disparity and cultural erosion.
See also
No related topics linked yet.
Past papers
2016–2026 · 8 questions
In the news
EKLAVYA MODEL RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS
EMRS represent a significant government effort to provide quality education to tribal children while simultaneously preserving their rich cultural heritage, addressing both educational disparity and cultural erosion.
Try these PYQs
What is the purpose of ‘Vidyanjali Yojana’?
1. To enable the famous foreign educational institutions to open their campuses in India.
2. To increase the quality of education provided in government schools by taking help from the private sector and the community.
3. To encourage voluntary monetary contributions from private individuals and organizations so as to improve the infrastructure facilities for primary and secondary schools.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Statement 1 is incorrect. Vidyanjali Yojana is not focused on attracting foreign universities to set up campuses in India. Statement 2 is correct. Vidyanjali Yojana aims to improve government schools by leveraging resources and expertise from the private sector (retired professionals, NGOs) and the community (volunteers). Statement 3 is incorrect. While the initiative might indirectly lead to improved infrastructure due to volunteer efforts, its primary focus is not on monetary contributions for infrastructure development.
Consider the following statements about Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India :
1. PVTGs reside in 18 States and one Union Territory.
2. A stagnant or declining population is one of the criteria for determining PVTG status.
3. There are 95 PVTGs officially notified in the country so far.
4. Irular and Konda Reddi Tribes are included in the list of PVTGs.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
During the fourth Five-Year Plan, a sub-category was created within Scheduled Tribes, known as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, to identify groups that are considered to be at a lower level of development. Statement 1 is correct: PVTGs are spread over 18 states and one Union Territory (Andaman & Nicobar Islands) in India. Statement 2 is correct: The criteria for determining PVTG status include a pre-agricultural level of technology, a stagnant or declining population, extremely low literacy, and a subsistence-level of economy. Statement 3 is incorrect: As of now, there are 75 PVTGs officially notified in the country, not 95. Statement 4 is correct: Both Irular and Konda Reddi tribes are included in the list of PVTGs. So, the correct statements are 1, 2, and 4.
With reference to ‘Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. This initiative aims to demonstrate the improved production and post-harvest technologies and to demonstrate value addition techniques, in an integrated manner, with a cluster approach.
2. Poor, small, marginal and tribal farmers have a larger stake in this scheme.
3. An important objective of the scheme is to encourage farmers of commercial crops to shift to millet cultivation by offering them free kits of critical inputs of nutrients and micro-irrigation equipment.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Statement 1 is correct. The Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion aims to demonstrate improved production and post-harvest technologies in an integrated manner with a cluster approach. Statement 2 is also correct. Millets are mainly grown in regions of low annual rainfall and poor arid soil. It is inadequate, small, marginal and tribal farmers, who cannot afford costly irrigation practices, depend on the cultivation of millets. Hence these farmers benefit from the scheme and have a larger stake in this scheme. Statement 3 is not correct. There is no such provision to encourage commercial crop farmers to shift to millet cultivation.
Which of the following statements with regard to the persons with disabilities in India is/are correct ?
1. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, an Act passed by the Parliament of India in 2018, mandates reservation in education and employment, places a legal duty on Governments to ensure accessibility and non-discrimination.
2. The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan focuses on achieving universal accessibility for Persons with Disabilities across three key domains — built infrastructure, transport systems and information and communication technology.
3. The National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation (NDFDC) is a public sector organisation set up by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs as a not-for-profit company to promote entrepreneurship among Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
Select the answer using the code given below :
Statement 1 is Incorrect: The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act was passed by the Parliament of India in 2016, not 2018. It aligns with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and places a legal obligation on governments to ensure non-discrimination and accessibility. It also mandates reservations for PwDs, such as increasing the quota to 4% in government employment and 5% in higher education. Statement 2 is Correct: The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan (Accessible India Campaign) was launched in 2015 by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD). It focuses on achieving universal accessibility for Persons with Disabilities across three key domains: built infrastructure (barrier-free public buildings), transport systems (accessible railways, airports, and roads), and information and communication technology (accessible government websites and digital ecosystems). Statement 3 is Incorrect: The National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation (NDFDC) is a Central Public Sector Undertaking registered as a not-for-profit company to provide concessional financial assistance to promote entrepreneurship, self-employment, and higher education among PwDs. However, it was set up under the aegis of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, not the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Therefore, the correct option is B.
With reference to ‘National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF)’, which of the statements given below is/are correct?
1. Under NSQF, a learner can acquire the certification for competency only through formal learning.
2. An outcome expected from the implementation of NSQF is the mobility between vocational and general education.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Statement 1 is incorrect. Learners can acquire competency certification through various learning methods under NSQF, not just formal learning. This includes. - Formal learning (schools, colleges, training institutions) - Non-formal learning (workshops, skill development programs) - Informal learning (on-the-job experience, self-learning) Statement 2 is correct. One of the key objectives of NSQF is to promote mobility between vocational and general education. The framework establishes a common standard for skills, making it easier for individuals with vocational qualifications to pursue further education or vice versa. This can create a more flexible and inclusive education system.
Show 3 more PYQs
Consider the following statements :
Statement-I :India's public sector health care system largely focuses on curative care with limited preventive, promotive and rehabilitative care.
Statement-II: Under India's decentralized approach to health care delivery, the States are primarily responsible for organizing health services.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
* Statement I is correct: India's public healthcare system prioritises curative care, which focuses on treating existing illnesses. Preventive, promotive, and rehabilitative care, which aims to prevent diseases, promote good health, and help people recover from illness, receive less emphasis. * Statement II is correct: India's healthcare system follows a decentralised approach. The central government sets policies and provides financial assistance, but individual states are responsible for organising and delivering health services to their populations. This allows for flexibility based on local needs and contexts.
Therefore, the answer is Both Statement I and Statement II are correct.
With reference to land reforms in independent India, which one of the following statements is correct?
Land reform is a broad term: - It refers to an institutional measure directed towards altering the existing pattern of ownership, tenancy, and management of land. - It entails redistribution of the rights of ownership and/or use of land away from large landowners and in favour of cultivators with very limited or no landholdings. - At the time of independence, ownership of land was concentrated in the hands of a few. This led to the exploitation of the farmers and was a major hindrance towards the socio-economic development of the rural population. - Equal distribution of land was therefore an area of focus of Independent India's government. Laws for land ceilings were enacted in various states during the 50s & 60s, which were modified on the directives of the central government in 1972.
With reference to ‘Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana’, consider the following statements:
1. Under this scheme, farmers will have to pay a uniform premium of two per cent for any crop they cultivate in any season of the year.
2. This scheme covers post-harvest losses arising out of cyclones and unseasonal rains.
Which of the statements given about is/are correct?
The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is a government-sponsored crop insurance scheme. Statement 1 is Incorrect: Under this scheme, farmers have to pay a uniform premium of 2% for all Kharif crops, 1.5% for all Rabi crops, and 5% for commercial/horticultural crops. The premium rate is not uniform for all crops in all seasons. Statement 2 is Correct: The scheme does cover post-harvest losses arising out of cyclones and unseasonal rains. Hence, option B is the correct answer.